Kṛṣṇa was present five thousand years ago on this planet, and just to benefit us He left His instruction, Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna did not require the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. He was already enlightened, but he presented himself as a fool just to induce the Lord to speak on Bhagavad-gītā, and it is noted by Vyāsadeva, Vedavyāsa, in the Mahābhārata, so that people may take advantage of the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everything is there, what is this brahmajyoti, what is this material world, what is that spiritual world, what is our object of life, what we should know.
But we are... Because we are so much influenced by the material world, especially in this age of Kali, the age of misunderstanding and quarreling, that people are... Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. In this age their life is very short. Span of life is very short. And manda, all bad, not good men. Manda. And even there are so-called good men, they have their own process of knowledge, speculative process, godless. The main basic principle of speculative process is to avoid Kṛṣṇa, to avoid God. There are so many commentaries on Bhagavad-gītā to make Kṛṣṇa nil. That is mental speculation. Somebody is saying that in the there is karma only recommended. Somebody says jñāna. Somebody says yoga. Somebody says bhakti.
But actually Bhagavad-gītā is meant for bhaktas. Bhakto 'si sakhā ceti. Bhagavad-gītā was instructed to Arjuna for his only qualification, that he was a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Bhakto 'si me sakhā ceti. So the whole Bhagavad-gītā is the essence of Vedic knowledge, and the Vedic knowledge means to understand Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). Even if you study Vedic literature, without bhakti, without studying the Vedic literature, you cannot understand the Absolute Truth. Bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. Tac chraddadhānā munayo jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā (SB 1.2.12). Tac chraddadhānā munayaḥ. Those who are faithful, such great saintly persons, śraddadhānā munayo jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā... Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā. There is sufficient knowledge and vairāgya, detachment.
Vairāgya... Vedānta knowledge is not to be discussed on the table as a recreation, taking tea and smoking and discussing on Vedānta-sūtra. This kind of discussion will not help. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā. Vairāgya. There must be detachment from material activities. Tac chraddadhānā munayo jñāna-vairāgya... (SB 1.2.12), paśyanty ātmani cātmānaṁ bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. Bhaktyā. There must be bhakti. And what kind of bhakti? Not sentiment but śruta-gṛhītayā, taking, accepting bhakti, the devotional path, after being completely aware of the spiritual science. Bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā.
Śruta. The specific meaning of śruta means this knowledge has to be received through the ear, through the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). Śruta-gṛhītayā. It is never explained in the Vedic literature that the science of God can be understood by the eyes. No. It has been mentioned, the tongue and the ear. These are the sources. Śruta-gṛhītayā. One must hear the Vedic literature. The Vedic literature is called, therefore, śruti. Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). Śrotriyam. Formerly there was no book. The students used to hear from the spiritual master. Śruta, śrotriyam. That was perfect. There was no need of literacy. That ear is sufficient. Śruta-gṛhītayā. Tac chraddadhānā munayo jñāna-vairāgya...(SB 1.2.12). And hearing, hearing, hearing, one becomes enlightened with knowledge, and the effect of knowledge is vairāgya. Vairāgya, detachment. Otherwise, we, hearing or studying... But there is no vairāgya.
Even big, big sannyāsīs, they cannot... They are in a saffron dress but they Vairāgya... So far vairāgya is concerned, if you study their inner history, there is no vairāgya. They are attached to all kinds of material enjoyment. Simply a show-bottle dress. That will not help.
There must be vairāgya. That vairāgya can be achieved by bha... Bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. When you hear... Bhakta means through the devotees, or you becoming devotee. There must be devotional service. And bhakti means sevonmukha, the attitude of rendering service to the Lord. That is bhakti. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Bhakti means when you engage your senses for the service of the master of the senses, Hṛṣīkeśa. That is called is bhakti. Bhakti is not sentiment.